A 26-year-old Ashland man was arrested yesterday for allegedly plotting to damage or destroy the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol building.
Rezwan Ferdaus, who is a U.S. citizen, planned to use a large, remote controlled aircraft filled with plastic explosives, authorities said.
Ferdaus is also charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda.
The public was never in danger and Ferdaus was closely monitored, according to a statement from the office of the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz.
Ferdaus is a Northeastern University graduate with a degree in physics, according to an arrest affidavit. He began planning to commit the “jihad” against the U.S. in early 2010, authorities said.
Yesterday morning, FBI agents, working undercover, delivered what Ferdaus believed were explosives and rifles. He was then arrested.
